Drug awareness at all-time high in Raymond following rumors of 'skittling parties'

Kristin Flanagan

Friday

Sep 26, 2008 at 2:00 AM

RAYMOND — Many in a small, tight-knit community like Raymond may refuse to believe that drugs like heroin or events such as "skittling parties" are available in town. But there are rumors that "skittling parties" do take place.

RAYMOND — Many in a small, tight-knit community like Raymond may refuse to believe that drugs like heroin or events such as "skittling parties" are available in town. But there are rumors that "skittling parties" do take place.

"Skittling parties" involve youths throwing a bunch of prescription drugs into a bowl, grabbing a handful and downing them all at once.

When these drugs are taken in excess, users can experience an "ecstasy-like" high along with extremely dangerous side effects. Teens call it "skittling" because the drugs look like Skittles candy.

Police Chief David Salois said Raymond police have not made any arrests and Raymond High School principal Kirk Beitler said he's seen no evidence of student involvement in this type of drug use. Still, rumors persist.

"We haven't had any reports of our students using illicit or prescription drugs, and it's due entirely to the efforts being made and the positive choices being offered our children," Salois said. "And in this respect, I'm happy to say, that the town of Raymond is really on the ball."

School officials, the Raymond Coalition for Youth and police are warning parents and community members to educate themselves and children.

Terri Holland, student assistance counselor for Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, who works with students at Raymond High School, said, "It is important to understand that drug use knows no socio-economic boundaries."

Of her role at RHS, Holland said she's "uniquely positioned to observe and understand what's going on in today's youth culture. The student assistance program is a voluntary, confidential and free service that provides students with a safe environment in which to address issues that may be interfering with their ability to succeed in school. Students come to the student assistance counselor to talk about everything from drug abuse, sexual pressures, self-esteem issues and bullying, to problems they are facing at home. The SAP focuses on prevention and intervention."

When Holland, Salois or RCFY director Celeste Clark are asked what's the best way to ensure that children don't use drugs or drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, the answer is summed up in one word: awareness. Children are taught through programs like D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) that drugs are dangerous, life-threatening and illegal. It is important to help them understand and be aware of situations or people that could offer potentially deadly outcomes, the three local officials agreed.

But parents need to be aware also in a world of high technology. Several weeks ago, Holland spoke at a RCFY meeting to give an overview of the Student Assistance Program to educators, law enforcement personnel, parents, legislators and health-care providers, among others, in order to raise "community awareness" of dangerous issues facing youths in today's society.

While data show that overall use of illicit drugs is down nationwide, the use of lethal drugs has risen, the two most notable being heroin and methamphetamines. Holland emphasized that "All parents and people who work with youngsters should be aware of the trends, learn how to identify if a child is using and be encouraged to focus on pro-social practices and positive youth development, which can help to prevent drug abuse and other risky behaviors."

Holland encouraged parents and educators to avail themselves of the resources provided by the N.H. Child and Family Services Web site (www.cfsnh.org) to keep themselves informed.

Skittling is the use/abuse of prescription drugs. A skittling party entails several teens taking prescription medications from home (or other people's homes), pooling the drugs into one large bowl, and everyone just grabbing what looks "good."

"Young folks are egregiously mistaken when they assume that these types of drugs are safe because they are prescribed by doctors," said Clark, RCFY director. "What they don't realize is that while the person the drugs are prescribed for may not suffer from some of the serious side-effects, and the drugs don't affect that person in dangerous ways, anyone taking any kind of drug not prescribed for them can suffer dangerous and/or fatal consequences."

For instance, there are several anti-psychotic medications which, while very effective for treating psychosis for those properly diagnosed and monitored by physicians, can cause psychosis or other severe psychological damage when taken by someone not suffering such illnesses.

Beitler, RHS principal, said, to his knowledge, drugs like heroin or "skittling parties" have never been found at RHS, "but from what I've been hearing, there is a concern statewide because the price of heroin has dropped so drastically and is becoming more easily attainable."

Beitler reiterated that the best tool is awareness. He feels that with all the programs and the education offered in the schools, the students are savvy to the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

"It's the adults we need to get the message to. Living in a small town, we can be a little naive thinking that these things can't happen here, because we're not a big city," Beitler said. "But realistically, we really aren't all that far removed from places where these things might be attainable. As adults, we need to make ourselves aware of the reality, be able to recognize the warning signs, and have these conversations with our children. We need to be proactive and keep ourselves informed."

He also said adults need to be aware that it's not just prescription drugs that offer a potential hazard to youth, but over-the-counter (OTC) medications, as well.

"We did have an instance several years ago in which students were caught with OTC cold medication," he said. "People need to be aware of what's in their medicine cabinets, because those kinds of things are so readily available, and kids really aren't aware of what they're putting into their systems, or what it can do to them."

The second best tool in the war against drugs is keeping children and young adults engaged in healthy, positive activities, of which Raymond offers many. Police Chief Salois applauded the efforts of citizens, parents and educators.

"I can't speak for other towns, but we (in Raymond) are working diligently toward keeping our children away from these activities," Salois said. "As police, we use investigations to make drug-related arrests, and many are made from traffic stops, also. We've never arrested any students, but we have arrested adults, and had instances of deaths by heroin overdose, so we are extremely diligent in our efforts. And it's not just the police, either; the schools and the community have so many great things going on. With the addition of new school sports, like football and cross-country track teams, the implementation of positive-behavior reinforcing programs like PBIS and Caught Being Good, extra-curricular clubs and activities, the after-school programs at Lamprey River Elementary and Iber Holmes Gove Middle School, RCFY and community gatherings, JAG, RAP and such services like the ones offered by Terri Holland, Raymond's youth may have more advantages with the many choices they have at their disposal. The kids should be proud of themselves, too."

Parents and community members can enhance those advantages by being aware of what's happening around them, and by educating themselves through such resources as www.theantidrug.com, which is designed for parents and educators, and www.drugabuse.gov, which is the official Web site for the National Institute on Drug abuse. Clark mentioned an article written about a survey taken annually by CASA (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University), which is on the posted bulletin board at the RCFY Web site (www.rcfy.org ). Clark called it "a fascinating article, and extremely informative." Besides viewing the article and survey results at RCFY, people can also go to www.casacolumbia.org, the official CASA Web site, which is replete with information on every aspect of prevention, substance abuse and resources.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Newsletters

Advertise

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
seacoastonline.com ~ 111 New Hampshire Ave., Portsmouth, NH 03801 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service